Learning
Grammar
08

Quantity & comparison

How much? and which is more? — the words for quantity and comparison where small mistakes creep in.

Countable vs uncountable

A2a book · some water

Countable nouns have plurals and take „a/an”; uncountable ones (water, advice, information) don't — use „some”, „much”.

Examples
  • I'd like some water.
    PLPoproszę trochę wody.
    uncountable → some, not „a water”
  • She gave me some advice.
    PLDała mi radę.
    „advice” is uncountable

some / any

A2some (+) · any (? / −)

„Some” in positives and offers, „any” in questions and negatives.

Examples
  • There are some apples.
    PLJest trochę jabłek.
  • Is there any milk?
    PLCzy jest mleko?
  • I don't have any money.
    PLNie mam pieniędzy.

much / many / a few / a little

A2many books · much time

„Many / a few” with countable nouns, „much / a little” with uncountable. „A lot of” fits both.

Examples
  • How many people came?
    PLIle osób przyszło?
  • I don't have much time.
    PLNie mam dużo czasu.
  • A few friends, a little money.
    PLKilkoro znajomych, trochę pieniędzy.

Comparatives

A2-er than · more … than

Short adjectives: -er + than; longer ones: more + than. Irregular: good→better, bad→worse.

Examples
  • This one is cheaper than that.
    PLTen jest tańszy niż tamten.
  • It's more expensive than I thought.
    PLJest droższe, niż myślałem.
  • Today is better than yesterday.
    PLDziś jest lepiej niż wczoraj.
Common mistake

She is more tall than me.She is taller than me.

Short adjectives compare with -er, not „more”: „taller”, not „more tall”. „More” is for longer ones (more interesting).

Pattern: The more… the more →

Superlatives

A2the -est · the most …

Superlatives always take „the”: the -est or the most. Irregular: the best, the worst.

Examples
  • It's the cheapest option.
    PLTo najtańsza opcja.
  • She's the most talented in the team.
    PLJest najzdolniejsza w zespole.

as … as

B1as + adjective + as

Comparison of equals: „as … as”. Negative: „not as … as”.

Examples
  • She's as tall as her brother.
    PLJest tak wysoka jak jej brat.
  • It's not as cold as yesterday.
    PLNie jest tak zimno jak wczoraj.